Can a Pregnant Woman Watch Horror Movies – Is It Bad?

Can a pregnant woman watch horror movies or scary movies? Let us take a minute to think about it ourselves – is there any negative or positive influence on the baby?

Naturally, women love movies – I mean, what is there not to love? Movies are everything a woman needs, and as young ladies, we grow up loving them. When we get pregnant and finally have the excuse to be idle, to sit and eat doing nothing, movies win the day.

Movie streaming services have made matters ‘worse’ in a good way for pregnant women. Now we can sit on a spot, eating and streaming movies all day from our mobile phones.

There is an array of interesting movies online – with many of them having scary or horror content. Should you be watching a scary or horror movie as a pregnant woman? What impact does it have on the baby? This article will analyze the issue and provide the best answers. So let’s get it started!

 

Is It Bad to Watch Horror Movies During Pregnancy?

There is nothing wrong with watching a horror movie, but does the reaction your body receives have any effect on your unborn child.

According to medical experts, when a pregnant woman experiences stress or becomes overly excited, there are bound to be hormonal changes in the woman’s body. In some instances, the hormonal imbalance can make the body produce an unprecedented amount of cortisol.

Cortisol is mainly known as the crisis or stress hormone, which helps to regulate your body’s response to stress. It is a steroid hormone that is produced by your adrenal glands and is important for pregnant women.

When a pregnant woman experiences shock or is in a mode known as fight-or-flight mood, chemicals and hormones are transferred to the placenta. So, you have protection from stress, and your unborn child can grow into maturity regardless of the stress and excitement level.

But it would be best if you were worried about fetal distress and premature labour towards the end of your pregnancy. When people speak against watching horror movies when they are pregnant, this is probably what they are referring to.

 

Also Read: Can You Have Calamari While Pregnant?

 

Does Watching Horror Films Affect Your Unborn Baby?

As a pregnant woman, you get a lot of advice on what can affect your unborn baby. If you haven’t been told yet, be sure that someone is going to tell you about how you shouldn’t watch horror movies when pregnant.

In reality, watching horror movies when pregnant is more of a traditional or cultural taboo. To date, there is no scientific hypothesis that traces watching horror movies by a pregnant woman to poor baby development.

However, horror movies can cause fear which can cause a rush of adrenaline hormones in a pregnant woman. Due to the biological and psychological connections between a mother and an unborn child, the baby in the womb, they feel the stress and excitement of the mother. But there is no established proof that there is a negative effect of horror movies.

 

What To Consider When watching Horror Movies While Pregnant

Although there is no established direct implication on the unborn child when you watch horror movies while pregnant, you should always be careful. The period of pregnancy is one of the most critical periods of womanhood, and special caution must be taken at all times and in all we do.

By and large, if you are someone who loves the trills and adrenaline that comes from watching horror movies, you would want to put the following tips in mind.

5 Tips to Consider Before Watching Horror Movies When Pregnant

  1. If you are someone who is physically shaken by horror movies, it is best to avoid watching them during pregnancy.
  2. Do not watch horror movies during pregnancy if it causes you emotional imbalance or turbulence.
  3. If you are pregnant about 24 weeks or over, you should not consider seeing a horror movie in a cinema or crowded room because your baby’s sense organs have fully developed. Yes, the noise and screams will disturb the baby in your womb.
  4. Sitting upright for too long can be exhausting in the advanced stages of pregnancy and is not advisable for a pregnant woman. So, it would be best if you considered avoiding movie theatres at this time.
  5. Be conscious of your body’s metabolism and feeling before setting out to watch a horror movie.

 

Also Read: Tips to Going to the Beach During Pregnancy

 

Frequently Asked Questions – Can a Pregnant Woman Watch Horror Movies

Below, we have highlighted some frequently asked questions and their answers. The answers are responses from top medical health experts who have good experience with pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Question 1: Can Watching Horror Movies Affect the Brain Development of My Child?

Answer: No. There is no scientific or medical proof that watching horror movies can affect the brain development of your child.

Question 2: What is Cortisol, and What Does it Do?

Answer: Cortisol is mainly known as the crisis or stress hormone, which helps to regulate your body’s response to stress. It is a steroid hormone that is produced by your adrenal glands and is important for pregnant women.

Question 3: Does the Cortisol Hormone Affect the Development of my baby?

Answer: No. The hormone is released timely to regulate your body’s response to stress. So, it does not have a negative effect on you or your child.

Question 4: Can I go to the Cinema During Pregnancy?

Answer: If you are in the last trimester of pregnancy, it is advisable for you to avoid going to places like the cinema, which has loud noise. At this stage of your pregnancy, your unborn child can sense loud noises around you.

Question 5: Can Watching Horror Movies Cause Stress in a Pregnant Woman?

Answer: Yes. Watching a horror or scary movie can cause stress in pregnant women. The stress can lead to hormonal imbalance in the pregnant woman, which can, in turn, have an effect on the baby.

Question 6: Can I Allow My Baby to Watch Horror Movies?

Answer: Well, you should not allow a little baby to watch horror movies. According to a medical study carried out by Harrison and Cantor of the University of Wisconsin, “the younger a child is when allowed to view a horror film, the longer-lasting the effects.”

Question 7: Should I Watch Movies at all as a Pregnant Woman?

Answer: Why shouldn’t you? There is nothing wrong with watching a movie when you are pregnant. It all depends on how the movie makes you feel. Whether it is a horror movie, thriller, or romance, the important thing is how it makes you feel inside.

 

Also Read: Possible Hair Changes During pregnancy And How to Treat It

 

Conclusion

Let’s face the facts. Pregnancy is a time in a woman’s life when she should be in her happiest state. So, watching a horror or scary movie depends really on how you react to it.

If you are someone who loves horror movies for a good reason, then why not? There is nothing wrong with you watching them. But if horror movies leave you shaken, stressed, and frightened, then you should avoid them.

As we mentioned in the article, there is no proven fact that watching horror movies when you are pregnant would harm your unborn child. But if it doesn’t make you feel happy and good, then why watch it? If you ask me directly, can a pregnant woman watch horror? My answer will be “why not?”